How US Mosques Genuinely Help Fight Extremism

In the wake of the attacks in Brussels, experts have speculated that the presence of Saudi-funded mosques in Belgium have made it one of the hotbeds of Islamism in Europe.

But if there’s one lesson on fighting terror Europe can learn from the United States, it’s this: Certain kinds of mosque attendance may be more of a solution to radicalism than its cause.

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a nonpartisan think tank, commissioned a survey of over 500 American Muslims and concluded that “frequent mosque attendance has no correlation with attitudes toward violence against civilians.”

In fact, the authors note that frequent mosque attendance “is linked with higher levels of civic engagement. Muslims who regularly attend mosques are more likely to work with their neighbors to solve community problems” as well as to vote.

According to the survey, “Muslims who say their faith is important to their identity are more likely to say being American is important to how they think of themselves than those who express a weak religious identity.”

It turns out that attending a mosque in the United States, like attending a church, actually seems to have a moderating influence on people’s behavior. Rather than just getting theological and political messages from television or the Internet, people who are part of religious institutions are more likely to hear a message that is rooted in the realities of American life.

This doesn’t surprise Abdullah Antepli, chief representative of Muslim Affairs at Duke University, because “almost all mosques function as a civic and cultural center more than anything else.

Being a house of worship is a very little percentage of what mosques do. These institutions serve as cultural preservation centers. Through various religious, cultural, social, civic services, the mosques” help “many American Muslims’ [navigate] struggles to integrate into US society.”

Obviously this is not universally true, but religious institutions are more likely to have families in attendance — women on the whole tend to exert a moderating influence on men. So, for that matter, do older people, who are less likely to be inclined toward violent solutions to any dissatisfaction they may be feeling.

Being involved in religious institutions — or any institutions from political parties to bowling leagues — also gives people a sense of connection not only to the larger community but also to the country as a whole.

It’s unfortunate, then, that like other religious institutions, attendance at mosques hasn’t been strong. According to a 2012 Pew Survey, “slightly less than half (47%) attend mosque at least once a week.” But some Muslim leaders say that number is much lower. Antepli says that “un-mosqued” people are the fastest growing trend in the United States. He estimates that currently “only 15 to 20 percent of US Muslims are mosque-goers.”

A documentary released last year called “UnMosqued” explored the reasons that young Muslims are put off by traditional mosques — their leaders are foreign, they’re not welcoming enough to women, they don’t support converts, etc.

But it may not be dissatisfaction leading Muslims away from mosques. It may simply be that the country’s secularizing trends are hitting this community the same way they’re hitting Jews and Christians. And it’s young people raised in more secular environments, away from teachers and leaders who can help them understand what it is to be a Muslim in America, who may be the most at risk. ISIS, according to some reports, is sending out 90,000 tweets per day. For someone with no institutional ties, it is difficult to filter those messages.

Antepli told a recent story about a teenage boy trying to join ISIS. He had never been to a mosque in his life, and the authorities brought him to Antepli, hoping the imam could help him. Antepli recalled that for six months he taught the boy about the tenets of Islam.

The boy found the whole project so “boring” that in the end he decided that he had no interest in radicalism — or Islam — after all. While churches and mosques may not advertise it, real religious education can provide young people with a kind of immunity to radicalization as well.

Those worried about Islamism in the United States might be relieved that mosque attendance has been low in recent years, but they should think twice. You know the old adage: If you believe in nothing, you’ll fall for anything.

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.

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Independent Women’s Forum’s mission is to improve the lives of Americans by increasing the number of women who value free markets and personal liberty. Sister organization of Independent Women’s Voice.